“How far are we from our destination?”
“Not far. Maybe another hour’s drive,” Michael said, his voice less humorous this time. We didn’t have much of a plan for when we arrived in New Jersey, but that had never stopped us before. We were nothing if not determined.
I sat up straight and regarded him with a bemused look. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you sound worried.”
His brows knit together in the beginnings of a frown. “For good reason.”
His green eyes lowered their gaze to the spot over my heart where a faded scar lay hidden beneath my black t-shirt. I had gotten the stitches out, but the skin was still a light brown that didn’t match the rest of my chocolate complexion.
Two months. It’d be two months in a couple of days. I tried not to think about it too much.
“Don’t get your feathers all ruffled,” I scolded. “We’re being much more careful than we were before.”
“Being careful is never enough. You know that,” Michael replied.
I shrugged. “Being worried isn’t going to help any either.”
He seemed to take my words to heart this time, but it didn’t matter because Krystal reappeared with Michael’s debit card in one hand and a tray full of empty glasses balanced on the other.
“Thanks for coming out. Have a nice day!”
“You too.” I slid out of the booth and stretched my arms above my head before patting the pockets of my grey duster to make sure everything was in place. Just when I turned to go, Krystal’s tray started to slide out of her hand. Michael miraculously caught it in mid-air, saving the dishes from peril. He handed it back to the relieved girl, who sighed heavily and said:
“Thanks. You’re an angel.”
I laughed so hard that Michael had to shove me out the door.
By the time we reached the hotel, the day had wound down into sunset and the city seemed to swallow us whole. We’d have more time to take in some of the sights and local culture after I had a shower. The day was as sticky as the candy that would be passed out at the end of the month.
I breathed a sigh of relief when Michael opened the hotel door with his keycard, causing a blast of cool air to hit my face. Hurrah. The cream-colored walls and burgundy comforters were almost as inviting as that air conditioning so I shuffled inside with my suitcase and kicked the door shut. Michael gravitated to the queen-sized bed closest to the door since he was technically my angelic bodyguard so I dumped my stuff on the other mattress before collapsing face-first onto it. Michael let out a faint groan as well before silence enveloped us both. Once the sweat coating my spine dried, I rolled over and kicked off my Reeboks.
“How far is the place from here?” I asked.
“Ten minutes, or so MapQuest says.”
“Good. Means we won’t have to roll out of bed until noon or so tomorrow.” The socks came off next. I wiggled my toes on the fuzzy white carpet and sat up on the edge of the bed. Michael was sprawled on his back with his long legs trailing onto the floor. The urge to giggle rose in my throat. When he wore khakis, he looked like an enormous brunette stork.
“Sounds like a plan. Might give us some time to take in the sights, too.”
A frown tugged at my lips. “This isn’t a vacation, y’know.”
He shrugged, raking the hair out of his eyes so he could meet my gaze. “I know. But it wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world.”
I spared him a sarcastic smirk. “Yeah, because we all know what that idea was.”
The archangel rolled his eyes. “One day you’ll appreciate the sacrifices I make for you.”
“Sure, I will. Dibs on the shower.” He groaned as I unzipped my bag to get out my clothes.
“Oh, c’mon, I drove for four hours. The least you could do is let me shower first.”
“I offered to drive and you declined.”
Michael finally sat up, scowling at me. “I’m a guy. We have things about driving.”
“Well, too bad. Ladies first.” Having gathered my clothes, I headed towards the bathroom, but he called to me before I got there.
“I thought you said you weren’t a lady.”
I stopped and glared at him. The archangel had the most infuriating smirk on his face. I contemplated taking another shot at his shin.
“I am when it suits me.”
The accursed smirk widened. “And when is that?”
I flashed him a very mean smile. “You’ll never see it.”
Before he could supply another snappy comeback, I slipped into the bathroom and shut the door. A few weeks ago, he might have talked me out of taking my shower first but I’d caught on to his methods by now. Sure, Gabriel was the most eloquent of the archangels that I had met, but Michael had a strangely compelling way of arguing. Hell, that was how he’d ended up accompanying me in the first place.